Drums of Fu Manchu

I saw this serial years ago. It was one of the first seen as a child of eight. It was unique. It fits of course, the formula of Republic Pictures Studios and was a welcome change to the many plots seen in those days, so often repeated and used over and over. Many suspenseful moments. We enjoyed going back the next week to the movie matinee. The swinging pendulum was a big part of the suspense as it got closer and closer. I searched for years to buy this for my collection and still don't have it. I was clearly one of the best saturday cliff-hanger serials.

Dr. Fu Manchu is searching for the tomb of Genghis Kahn in order to obtain the conqueror's scepter, where Fu Manchu can become messiah of the numerous tribes in Asia, as prophesized, and then conquer the western world. Fu Manchu's eternal nemesis, Sir Nayland Smith, arrives in America to track down Fu Manchu and with the help of Dr. Petrie, Allan Parker (whose explorer father was killed by one of Fu's dacoits), Prof. Randolph, and Randolph's daughter Mary, and prevent the keys to the location of Khan's tomb from falling into the hands of Fu Manchu. A very good serial, helped out by directors Witney and English who took advantage from a larger Republic budget and great cinematography from William Nobles. Brandon is probably the best Fu Manchu seen on screen, but still couldn't capture the evil portrayed in the Rohmer novels. I don't understand why Republic decided to make Sir Nayland Smith older than he was in the books (as well as Dr. Petrie, limiting his role), but Royle is very good in the role. Kellard is listless at times as Parker. Franklin is at times unconvincing as Fah Lo Suee (using a thick city accent most of the time) and Walters is missing much of the times as Randolph. My real beef with this serial is when the serial shifts from Los Angeles (or San Angeles as pointed out in the serial) to the Asian hills of Branaphur, the serial starts to shift down in excitement and becomes a run of the mill Republic fare with nothing standing out. Still this is among Republic's best efforts of the 40's and worth watching. Rating, based on serials, 9.

Sax Rohmer (1883-1859) was among the most popular novelists of the early 20th Century. He was particularly well known for his creation of the character Fu Manchu--a truly diabolical Chinese scientist who, along with his equally evil daughter Fa Lo See, sought world domination through the most vicious means possible. In the process, Rohmer virtually created the idea of "the yellow peril" in the American and European mind, and his distinctly racist characterizations would color Western concepts of the far East for half a century.

Rohmer's Fu Manchu has reached the screen on several occasions, perhaps most notably in an unexpectedly sadistic 1932 THE MASK OF FU MANCHU, starring Boris Karloff and Myrna Loy. The 1940 serial was directed by Republic Studio's reliable team of John English and William Witney, and at the time it was felt to propel the genre to a new height; in hindsight, however, it seems fairly obvious that English and Witney's SPY SMASHER and THE ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN MARVEL are really the high water mark of Republic serials. Whatever the case, the directing team does indeed give this tale considerable style and drive.

The story is very linear: Fu Manchu (Henry Brandon) is aided by lethal daughter Fah-Lo-Suee (Gloria Franklin) and a host of mind-controlled henchmen in an effort to secure the scepter of Ghengis Kahn--and thereby fulfill an ancient prophecy that will cause all of Asia to rise up under his leadership and get rid of those wretched Anglo-Saxon types for once and all. Needless to say, the Anglo-Saxons, both English and American, take an extremely dim view of the whole thing and set out to thwart his evil designs.

The serial starts out extremely well, with a host of imaginative visuals bolstered by a host of equally imaginative tortures. Unfortunately, Henry Brandon's Fu Manchu proves considerably more interesting than any of the good guys who oppose him, and in consequence the whole thing looses steam long about the fifth chapter and doesn't really regain it until the final third. But Brandon's memorable performance, the often remarkable visual designs, and the impressive fight choreography does make it entertaining throughout--even if you do wind up rooting for Fu Manchu instead of Sir Dennis Naylund Smith (William Royle) and his incredibly tiresome friend Allan Parker (Robert Kellard), who are supposed to be the heroes of the piece.

The whole thing, of course, is just as racist as it can be, and the final chapter is appallingly so. But even though it may cause you to roll your eyes it remains a fun sort of thing for hardcore serial fans, who will likely enjoy it quite a bit. As for the DVD--the film has been remastered, but the picture is rather fuzzy and the sound occasionally muddy as well. The package contains a brief but entertaining and enlightening documentary (described as a commentary) by Richard Valley and a handful of cast biographies for good measure.

Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer

I still enjoy Zorro's Fighting Legion and Perils of Nyoka more, but the story, acting and international atmosphere( the scene on the China Clipper is straight out of James Bond) make this serial a class A production. The final scene suggests a sequel as does the mystery of whether Fu Manchu's daughter was actually killed. But WW2 changed our racial profiling, shifting from China to Japan. No more Chinese bad guys, but Pearl Buck movies. But, if a Fu Manchu seemed far fetched at the time, 911 changed that. The Islamic world has several.This may actually be an insult to Fu Manch whose determination and sincerity almost arouse our admiration. Or maybe it is Brandon's brilliant acting.

THE DRUMS OF FU MANCHU is a classic Republic-era serial in which Nayland Smith and his co-horts do battle with the ever-fiendish Dr Fu Manchu and his endless 'dacoit' army. This overlong serial clocks in at no less than fifteen chapters (with the first chapter being particularly lengthy), meaning that it has a sluggish pace. The slow and repetitive nature of the production sees it pale in comparison to the likes of RADAR MEN FROM THE MOON, for example.

Still, fans of the era will find much to enjoy here, not least the endless fisticuff action between the good guys and the bad guys. Lengthy fist-fights are the order of the day here, along with shoot-outs and knife-throwing. At least a couple of henchmen are bumped off every chapter, while the action roves around the globe and takes place in planes, trains, cars, clifftops, and hidden underground temples.

The simplistic storyline sees Fu Manchu in search of the tomb of Genghis Khan, which is said to contain a magical artifact allowing him to control the whole of Asia. A white actor, Henry Brandon, plays the villain, and he looks very sinister; the rest of the cast are a little dull, though, aside from an ever-fun Dwight Frye in a minor villainous role. Come chapter seven or eight, I couldn't help but feel this was all very repetitive and dragged out; there are only so many times you can put up with Fu Manchu being captured and escaping, for example. Still, the cliffhanger scenes are ever fun, and it's still worthwhile escapism.